Sharon Lynn Miller
PORTAGE ‒ Sharon Lynn Miller, age 82, passed away peacefully (as she did most things) on Saturday, September 26th in her apartment, at Heritage House, Portage Wisconsin.
Sharon was born on March 22, 1944, in Abilene, Texas to Douglas Livingston Burson and Wilma Hazel (Ramer) Burson. Following her father's death in World War II (1945), Wilma, Sharon, and her younger brother, Douglas, moved back to the Hinckley, Illinois area to be with family. The next period of time is unfortunately not in this writer's memory, but included Wilma meeting Paul, and the new family moving to the Naperville area. Please feel free to fill in this gap in the comments! We would love to hear your stories!
In Naperville, Sharon met Ray and love ensued resulting in July 3, 1965, nuptials. They began their family in a modest apartment, where occasionally Sharon's grandmother, Alice, would stop by and accidentally close the flue on the fireplace, resulting in a smoky house. At which point, Alice would declare that, due to the smoke, they would have to leave. Alice always suggested going out for ice cream. This is possibly the beginning of Sharon's lifelong love of ice cream. Following the birth of their first son, Todd, Sharon and Ray moved to the outskirts of town where they found a house right next to Wilma and Paul. This led to many decades of loving family adventures and memories including welcoming their second son, Kyle.
Sharon attended beauty school but opted to stay home with her sons, which was appreciated. When the boys were older, Sharon went back to work at Dupage Precision Products, in Naperville, where she made more lifelong friendships, as she was wont to do. In later years, Sharon also kept books at KWR Motorcar. Sharon and Ray were able to travel some and visited such destinations as Germany, Puerto Rico, Mexico, as well as many places across the great United States of America (mainland). Sharon was very crafty, in many ways. She enjoyed macrame, card making (which assumedly resulted from her love of sending and receiving written correspondence), along with decorating, and antique collecting.
Sharon is survived by her two sons, Todd (Leisa) Miller and Kyle (Renee) Miller; grandchildren, Anaya, Lucas, and Katie; great-grandson, Sawyer; along with a plethora of family and friends. Sharon was preceded in death by her husband, Ray; her brother, Doug; her parents, Douglas, Wilma, and stepfather, Paul; and many other beloved ancestors.
A celebration of Sharon's life will be held at the Judd Kendall VFW Post 3873, 908 Jackson Ave., in Naperville, on November 1st, 2026, from 12:00 noon to 4:00 p.m. in the porch/party hall, on the main floor. Feel free to bring your love and memories!
Pflanz Mendrala Funeral Home, in Portage, is assisting the family.
